Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-07-02
KINDERGARTEN.
I From the Pioneer p, ess.l

flowers, may be cultivated.
Froebel's plan was to collect a
number of young children and place
them among such surroundings as
that their own free and spontaneous
acts would in large measure con-
tribute to their full development.
The teachers work was to be simply
direction, taking care that the nat
ural activities of the child always
had an opportunity for free express
sion and In the proper direction.
A genuine kindergarten consists
of pleasant, healthy room, and a
bright, energetic, sympathetic teach
err, who possesses the art of present
ing ideas in pleasant and attrac-
tive manner, so that the love of in
quiry and study is developed in the
child until he finds his chief pleas
ure in the school-room and in the
presence of his teacher.
We find the following to be some
of the principles that serve as
gui !, to this system.of instruction.
A firm belief in inherited powers
and tendencies.
The mind of the child is not as
some educators believe-a blank up
on which the instructor may write
as he pleases; nor is it true that ed
ucation can do but little or nothing
to change and direct the natural ten
denotes of the child-"the truth"
says the great Froebel, "lies between
these two extremes.
Every one is born with certain
natural tendencies which If they be
for good, can be cultivated by the
educator, or if they be for evil, can
be suppressed, and in time, entirely
eradicated by the aid of wise and
judicious training.
2, Education should be commenced
early Herbert. Spencer says :;
"Whoever has watched with any dis
cernment the wide-eyed gaze of the
infant at surrounding objects, knows
very we'll, that education does begin
at that time, that these fingerings
and landings of everything it can
lay hold of, these open-mouthed lis
Jennings to every sound, are the very
first steps in the series which endsin
the discovery of unseen planets,the
invention Of calculating engines, the
production of great paintings, or the
composition Of symphonies and
operas. The activity of the facul-
ties from the first. being spontane
Gus and inevitable, the question is
whether we shall supply in due var
iety the materials on which they
may exercise themselves; and tothe
question so put, none but an affirma-
tive answer can be given.
8, Education based on self activity.
The first signs of activity in a
child are merely physical and these
serve to secure control over the
muscles-such control is necessary
for support and protection and pre-
cedes intellectual growth. The cur
iosity of children manifested by
breaking everything that falls with
in their reach, to see what is in it
prying into everything, asking num-
berless questions, all prove that they
are endeavoring to arrive at distinct
ideas.
A. The harmonious Development
Philosophers consider all education
one-sided which does not aim at the
three-fold training required by a hui
man being, who is endowed with a
three-fold nature, physical, mental
and moral or spiritual.
A fine mental training in partner
ship with sickly body, is only a
partial blessing and indeed it is real
ly terrible aggravation to those
who wish to rise and benefit others
with their fine intellectual attain
ments.
Again, a cultivated and vigorous
intellect may be curse to humanity,
SC tha moral troininn hos haan no.